June 21, 2015
Happy Father's Day!
That's my father, Richard Althouse, back in the 1950s, in an edit I made from a collection of 8mm home movies.
I hope you still have your father with you, if only in memories.
ADDED: I hesitated writing "have [someone] with you, if only in memories" because it seems like a cliché, but, Googling, I see that it is not.
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16 comments:
Gone but not forgotten. Thanks Dad, yours and ours.
I think it was Leonard Nimoy who said that a father is like a garden.
My father died last October. He was 92, and sharp as a tack until the week he died, so it is hard to feel really sad about it. Still, you only have one dad.
(He was a musician. He went to Eastman, and, BTW Ann, he he got his PhD from NYU so he was a fellow Violet.)
One time when he was 91, we were driving along and I asked him, "Dad, you're getting along in years. I don't want you to leave without passing along what you consider to be the most important things you learned. Looking back, what are two or three of the major things you leaned in your life."
After a bit of thought, he said, "First, I wouldn't worry so much. Things have a way of working out. Second, I would give people a break - give them the benefit of the doubt. You never know what people have been through or what they are going through or struggling with. Finally, I would get closer to people, and I'd tell them I like them and I believe in them."
I have since reflected that in the years preceding his death, he had been fully living and acting in those very ways. And adding one more item, in the couple of weeks before he died, he kept repeating, "My family is the only thing I care about. It is the only thing that matters."
(I was lucky to have a good father. I know that many others are unable to say that, so this can be a tough day for some. If you are such, I can only inadequately say that maybe you don't need to worry so much about it. I have it on good and trusted authority that thing have a way of working out.)
Happy Father's day to my beautiful dad who passed 20 years ago. He was ahead for his times in raising his daughter the way he did. Thank you, dad!
First Father's Day without my father. Will be spending the day building a deck with the skills he taught me.
I am now 11 years older than my father was when he died. We didn't aways get along but he gave me a good start.
Patriarchs are the best. But after age 40 we become Bankers. Then after age 60 we become Grandpaw. Exact age varies.
Awwwww. Happy Father's day Professor Althouse.
Great home movies, AA!
My father had just turned 21 when I was born, so I'm still lucky to have the old man.
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there who worked, fought, and sacrificed to make our lives stable, secure and joyful.
@Quayle
Great advice.
I was just thinking about this the other day. Supposedly, when you are old, you have some wisdom. What is it? I was trying to think how I would answer that question.
"After a bit of thought, he said, "First, I wouldn't worry so much. Things have a way of working out. Second, I would give people a break - give them the benefit of the doubt. You never know what people have been through or what they are going through or struggling with. Finally, I would get closer to people, and I'd tell them I like them and I believe in them.""
Words to live by in the twitter (hate/rage) age.
Like Bay Area Guy, my father was 21 when I was born, and turned 70 this past Thursday. He isn't as mentally sharp as he was even 5 years ago, but still glad he is around and hope that he is for many years to come.
Althouse pere had a thing for bow ties, and like many of his generation, took care (and, I suspect, a bit of pride) in his dress and appearance. It reminded me of the clip posted here yesterday about the revival of style among younger men, most of whom showed a similar thing for bow ties.
What's old is new. Let's hope it lasts.
No shorts on that man!
Beautiful Althouse. Thanks for sharing.
Very nice. Laughing, intelligent eyes.
My kids (11, 7, 5) did DIY cards for Father's Day which is always great and I keep them. I took them to see Pixar/Disney's new one, "Inside Out" which I think has the capability of taking it's place at the top of the Pixar pantheon of great movies...except for one thing. A completely unnecessary swipe at the father about halfway through the movie.
The whole movie is based on the old Woody Allen/Herman's Head "brain room" concept, in which different parts of a personality are actually little people inside your mind running various aspects of your self. Everyone's got them, including the parents. The dad's were not only watching sports, not paying attention to the family drama at hand, but even when finally clued in that they should be taking part, had the father acting like an idiot.
Completely. Unnecessary.
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